Scenes
by Nabooru is your mom
Summary: YAY! I changed the title. Rated M for... sexual content and violence?
1. Goodbyes

_Scenes_

**Nabooru is your mom**.

**(Yeah, I changed the title.)**

"So you see why we can't let you continue to live here," the Princess said.

"No."

"Time passes on its own, sometimes people manipulate it who shouldn't... the Ocarina of Time is a sacred treasure of the Royal Family. Its powers should not be used lightly. And the Master Sword is the key to the Sacred Realm. They cannot be used as mere tools for..."

"Are you saying I shouldn't keep the Ocarina?"

"No... well... yes."

Link frowned.

"Believe me, it is not my choice," the Princess continued, holding the shiny Ocarina tightly. "Were it my decision, I would keep you here. But you belong in your own time, with your own kind. You do not belong here as an adult. You..."

"I don't belong in the Forest," Link said grimacingly.

The Princess appeared flustered. "That's... not what I'm trying to say...!" She couldn't seem to keep her usual poetic tone. Finally she just gave up talking altogether and siezed Link in a tight hug.

"I will miss you, Fairy Boy," she said, "but I can't, by my own will, keep you."

This worried Link a bit. He stepped back and the Princess released him, looking slightly sheepish.

"Return the Sacred Blade to the Pedestal of Time," she said. "Do it, now." She looked on the verge of tears.

Without another word, Link walked up to the pedestal and dropped the sword into it. Seven years flew by, and the Gold Gauntlets, Goron Tunic, Zora Tunic, and Great Fairy's magic faded off into nothing. He would never get them back again.

Everything whited out. When it cleared, he was back in the Forest, lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. Exactly where he had started, like nothing had changed.

He sat up, looking around for Navi, but she was not there. Nor was she hiding in his hat, or circling around some enemy. He jumped down from the ladder and nearly ran into Saria, who was coming up to meet him.

"Hi, Link!" she said, sounding cheerful as usual and yet rather nervous. "Where's your fairy?"

"Saria? Why... why are you here?"

"What do you mean? I've been here quite a while."

"Why are you back in the Forest? You should be in the Chamber with the other Sages..."

Saria gave him a confused look. "Sages? What sages?"

"Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow, Spirit, Light..."

At this she seemed to recall something. "Kaepora Gaebora said something about a Sage," she said. "He said they were very wise, and they lived in Temples, but I don't know what you mean by a Chamber, Link. I'm really sorry. Perhaps it was something you dreamed?

"Anyways, where's Navi?" She looked around.

"I don't know." Link looked at his feet. How could she just leave him? He hadn't gone that far back in time, if Saria still remembered. "I have to leave," he said.

"What, leave the Forest?"

"Yes. I mean... I have to find her. Or... maybe if I don't, I'll find something." He kinda-sorta wished the whole adventure had never happened. It was like his life had been put on fast-forward and rewind too many times. And there were things he was missing. Like why Nabooru was always winking at him. Why did she do that, anyway?

Saria seemed to understand. "I'll let you go. You need to find your friend. Do not miss me." She wore the same painful look that she had when giving him the Fairy Ocarina, which really made it worse. "Go," she urged, her voice wavering.

_I'll never understand these females,_ Link thought, as he ran out of the forest once again.

The first place he decided to go was Lon Lon Ranch, since he figured he could get help there. Hyrule Field seemed so familiar, yet so different. It seemed somehow emptier. The sky was clear, and there was no sign of life around, no Stalchildren, no Peahats, nothing but the sound of the wind.

He stumbled into Lon Lon Ranch at around 22:00. Expecting it to be quiet like the outside, he was surprised to hear the sound of someone singing. A girl. Malon. She was singing Epona's Song, and what a pretty voice she had... she sounded somehow older.

Despite her constant cheery attitude he'd always seen her in, she sounded slightly mournful and depressed. Link recalled what one of the Gossip Stones in Hyrule Castle Town had told him: _"They say that Malon wishes a knight in shining armour would sweep her off her feet."_ The poor girl, all she had was to tend to the animals she loved so much.

Wishing he didn't have to bother her, Link walked slowly up to her. She didn't notice him at first, then jumped in surprise as he grabbed her hand.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'll stop singing! I--"

"No, it's okay," Link muttered, feeling rather rude. "It's okay. Malon, I need your help."

"Eh?" she said. "Fairyboy! ...Er, wait, where's your fairy?"

"That's what I need your help with."

"Oh. Do you need to go look for her? Can I help you? Can I give you anything? Something that could help?" Malon was eager and joyful once again.

Epona, the wild horse Malon was training, trotted up next to Link, tossing her mane around. Malon grinned. "...Actually, I think it's just found you," she giggled.

"What? Oh, Malon, no, I couldn't take your horse... no..."

"She's not my horse anymore," Malon said. "She's yours. Take her. (And soon, before Dad wakes up!) I have a feeling you two will be great friends one day."

"Well, I... thanks, Malon." Link smiled and climbed on Epona's back, recalling how familiar it was... riding through Hyrule Field as an adult, charging down enemies and random bushes... he thought for a moment that if he could have had that back, if he could have ridden through with his Gold Gauntlets, Master Sword, and Mirror Shield shining in the moonlight like some magestic, powerful hero of legend... he just might have swept Malon up and taken her with him.

Link rode first to Hyrule Castle Town (feeling a bit silly riding Epona through town, he left her just outside the drawbridge). He ran straight in the direction of Hyrule Castle... maybe he could find another way out through there? He didn't get very far before almost crashing into Impa, who was standing at the top of the ivy on the side of the wall. Quite startled, he tripped and nearly fell off. She caught him by the hand and pulled him up next to her.

"Going to see the Princess, are we?" she said, grinning.

"Impa! You... how did you get here? Why _are_ you here?"

"Why wouldn't I be here?"

"You're... the Sage of Shadow!"

"Sage of Shadow, eh?" she chuckled. "Not yet, dear. At least, not for seven years or so. But by then, you will be gone."

"What...?" Link was confused already. "How do you know this?"

Impa pointed to the symbol on her chest. "Eye of Truth, my dear. It tells we Sheikahs things... things you would not understand. That's not important right now. What's important is that you get out of here."

"But... I need to talk to Zelda...!"

"You were sent to the Forest for a reason. That's where you must go. _You are needed._"

Link felt he had better not argue. "Yes, ma'am," he said, bowing, and ran all the way back til he reached Epona.

Link rode for days through the forest, still searching for Navi. The whole time he thought about what Impa had said... _ Not for seven years or so... By then, you will be gone._ Did this mean Hyrule's history, the seven years that he missed, was going to repeat itself? And what about Ganondorf? Where was he going that would keep him for so long, he wouldn't return to Hyrule?

In the midst of this thought, something jumped into the path ahead of him...

Forward a bit.

Romani Ranch. Considerable larger than the last Ranch he had been to. Removing the Goron Mask and brushing the dust from the Podwer Keg off his shorts, he ran across the field towards the house.

A girl stood outside firing arrows at a balloon shaped like a Poe. She had an oddly cheerful look about her. Behind her was a barn, a house, and... Epona.

Excited, he ran over to her. "Hey!" the girl called. "Stranger!"...


	2. Stabbed!

Scenes

Chapter two.

**Nabooru is your mom.**

There was silence throughout the darkened courtyard. Impa wished the Princess would come, and knew she wouldn't.

Breathing rather heavily, she pushed slightly against Sheik's arm. Sheik strengthened his grip around her, and in doing so, accidentally pushed the Sheikah pocket knife deeper into her chest. More blood gushed forth.

"Ow," she muttered. Then, after a pause, "This is rather awkward."

"Well, of course it is," Sheik said in his low, strikingly feminine voice. "I've just stabbed you."

"Yeah." Impa struggled to keep her voice straight. "Never expected that."

"You should have," Sheik said, gesturing towards the Eye of Truth on her chest.

"You're right," she coughed. "I should have."

"This is a fatal wound," he said, more as a question than a statement.

"Most likely. You didn't hit the heart, more like... in between in and a vessel."

Sheik grinned. "You were always matter-of-fact about things."

"I was?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"...Yeah."

"I guess this is it then."

"You're probably right." He paused. "Impa, I want to know..."

"What?"

"Did you love me?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You should know."

He blinked.

"Yes," she confirmed.

He pulled the knife out. It made a sickening sound. Blood dripped onto the tiles and echoed across the empty courtyard.

"Wrong decision." His voice wavered slightly. Impa gave him a pitying look.

"Well then, you'd best get some clothes on. It's cold." This was a rather obvioius statement.

Without saying a word, he laid her back down on the bench, pulled on his shirt, and wrapped the face cover around his head. Then, hesitating, he took it off, wrapped it around her chest, folded her arms over it, and left.


	3. Comfort

Scenes

Chapter three.

**Nabooru is your mom.**

The Princess stood stricken with horror at the sight in front of her… her nanny and her lifelong protector was lying on the platform by the window wrapped in Sheik's facecloth, a steady trail of Sheikah blood pooling around her, dripping into the courtyard's moat… her eyes, unfocused and clouded, had lost their look of determination and appeared to be… pleading.

Immediately, for the second time, Zelda longed for the Hero of Time she knew would comfort her, but the Hero was not there. Nor was Sheik. Zelda was completely on her own this time. And she had no idea what to do.

Choking back tears, she walked slowly over to Impa… Impa's body… and pulled her hand away from the facecloth strapped around her chest. Blood, blood, and more blood. Clamping a hand over her mouth, she pulled Impa's arms to her sides… they were stiff and cold and lacked life. Never the way Impa would have wanted Zelda to see her.

At this, the princess simply couldn't take it anymore. Her knees bent, and she gave way to sobbing, bent over her caretaker's body, wishing desperately for the comfort she would never feel again.

She didn't know how long she had stayed that way, but when she looked up, it was evening, and she was still there. Straightening, she pulled away from Impa's body and sat wondering what she was going to do. There was no one in her life now that could help her. No one.

Except…

"What's the matter, Princess?"

The voice sounded familiar… yet deeper, warmer…

"Princess?"

She looked up. Leaning against a nearby pillar, arms folded, staring at her, was…

"Link?"

He merely grinned at her.

Without thinking, filled with joy and relief, she ran over to him and hugged him as tightly as she had done the night he left. "I'm so glad you're here," she sobbed.

"Ssssh." He folded his arms around her and smoothed her hair, wiping the tears from her eyes. Then he leaned down and kissed her.

She was a bit numb to this at first. Link, kissing her? Link had never even expressed interest in her. But right now, in her distraught sense of loss, she needed all the comfort she could get.

He ran his hands over her hair, smoothing it, and over her arms, kissing her all the more passionately. He whirled her around, pinning her against the wall, running his hands over her neck… then took hold of her wrists and tossed her onto the courtyard ground, still on top of her. She opened her eyes but didn't struggle.

His hand moved down to her neklace, unclasped it and threw it off, then to the fastenings of her overshirt, pulled them loose rather forcefully…

This was definitely not Link.

but he would do…

he would do.


	4. Nabooru

Scenes

Chapter four.

**Nabooru is your mom.  
**

FLASHBACK TIME!--

"Come closer, Nabooru."

"I don't think so."

"Why?"

"Stay away from me." Nabooru was standing about a meter away from the man, terribly afraid he would rise from the chair he was so relaxedly reclining in.

"Come now, Nabooru. You know you want to." He flexed his muscles. She blushed, though it was barely visible underneath her tanned skin. She knew better.

"Aha. You blushed." He grinned.

"No," she said. "I want nothing of it."

"Of course you do. I can see it in your eyes."

She turned her gaze away and stared at the wall instead.

"They show fear," he said, grinning again.

"I do not fear you." This was a lie; they both knew it.

"Come on."

"No!" she shouted, a little louder than she intended. The room had started to heat up a little. Was this his doing? Her face grew warmer. "What do you want with me?"

"What do you think I dragged you in here for?" he said angrily. "To discuss politics?"

Nabooru felt a heavy sinking feeling in her stomach. She was doomed. Doooooomed.

"Well, lose your feeling of dread, it won't do you any good."

He pulled his halfway-open shirt off. "Is this room growing a bit warmer?"

"Excuse me," she said, appalled at the gesture. "Just who do you think you _are_?"

"I am Ganondorf... the Prince of Evil," he said, raising his eyebrows. "I thought you knew that already."

She shuddered. He rose from the chair and took her wrist. "Shall we?"

She gave him a look of pure disgust. "What do you think you're doing?"

He didn't respond, but moved his other hand further up her arm.

"Get _off_ me!" She struggled against his grip, but it was no good; he was much stronger than she.

"Listen," he hissed, grabbing her other wrist tightly, "I don't know if you're familiar with the custom, but _nobody _tells me..."

Yanking her left hand from his grip, she reached up and slapped him hard in the face. He recoiled, but did not release her wrist. As soon as she had done it she regretted it.

He said no more. Furiously, he pinned both her arms away from her body on the cold, hard, tiled floor. She knew exactly what was going to happen. And she wasn't going to like it one bit.


	5. Aftermath

Scenes

Chapter Five

**Nabooru is your mom**

Zelda opened her eyes slowly. She was in the courtyard. Morning had come. She straightened before realizing she wasn't exactly wearing anything. Panicky, she siezed the pink overshirt lying beside her and held over her chest, wondering what was going on.

She looked around. Memories of the previous night flooded back to her. Impa... Impa had been killed somehow. And then Link had come. Well... it wasn't exactly Link. More like... a shadow of him. And after that? It was hard to remember... he had kissed her, she knew that... kissed her in places she probably shouldn't have let him reach...

She shook the thought from her mind. She needed to stay in the present. Where was Impa? She turned toward the platform where Impa's body had been. She was gone. Someone had cleaned up (most of) the blood. She felt a little better.

"I took her to the graveyard," said a voice behind her. She turned. It was Link, or rather, the shadow of him she had met last night. Realizing she was only half-decent, she scrambled to cover herself with her scattered garments lying around.

He chuckled. "Not to worry, Princess," he said, "I've seen all there is to see."

She blushed. She wished he would stop staring.

"Her body is lying by the Royal graves," he said, as if reading her mind. "The gravekeeper will find her. It will be all right." He took a step closer.

"Don't," she said. He hesitated obediently.

"I don't like this," she said, unable to voice her thoughts correctly. "This... isn't right."

"Princess," he said, smiling, "you are merely experiencing something you have never really experienced before. It is nothing to fear."

"I... I wish to dress," she said. "Please turn away."

"Suit yourself," he said, shrugging. He turned his back on her but did not walk away.

She pulled the top skirt and overshirt on, grabbing the undergarments to put on later.

"I will be in my chamber," she said. "One of the guards will see you out."

"Yes, Princess."

Feeling slightly traumatized, she walked past him and out to her room.


	6. Zoras

Scenes

Chapter six

**Nabooru is your mom**

**Chapter under construction.**

**XD sorry.**


	7. Breakfast

Scenes

**Nabooru is your mom.**

**Public service announcement--- TIME FOR A LITTLE AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

Yes, this is just a short note about the story. For all of you who are a little bit (or more than a little bit) confused about _Scenes_, I will explain what I can.

_Scenes_ is a bunch of semi-random scenes from the games_ Ocarina of Time _and _Majora's Mask_. Some are flashbacks, some are continuing stories, some are somewhat unrelated. This fanfic is rated M for sexual content and some violence. And it has yaoi and stuff. But only a little.

**And now back to the story.**

**COMMENCE... CHAPTER SEVEN!**

Zelda's relationship to Impa was a strange one. Having lost her mother at an early age, Impa was the closest thing Zelda had. As Zelda grew older, Impa became more of a bodyguard than a nanny, more of a friend than a mother. Zelda loved her and her Sheikah determination to keep Zelda safe from harm. And without her, Zelda felt more alone than she had in her life.

There was no telling whether Zelda and Impa's relationship even hinted at anything more than a close friendship between them... Zelda could not recall all the encounters she'd had with her nanny, as she saw her less and less during her days helping Link in the Sheikah costume. However, when Link's shadowy twin (or as she had come to call him, Shadow Link) had suggested this, she had to take it into consideration. She could have been made to do things she normally wouldn't have done, and then she would have just forgotten it out of trauma or such feelings...

But no. Never. Impa would never make Zelda do anything against her will. Impa's only will was to protect Zelda, and if she loved her, it was as a mother. Never a lover.

"Such an idea is ridiculous," Zelda said, glaring at Shadow Link across the table they were sitting at. "Impa would not do such a thing. There's simply no way..."

"You never know," Shadow Link said calmly. "Sheikahs are very mysterious."

"Sheikahs have emotions."

"And dreams."

"Look, it was love," she said, "not lust."

"If you say so." He leaned back in his chair.

"Why do you want to know this, anyway?"

"Just... curious."

"Curious?" She felt offended. "Curious as to why I didn't give that great of a show last night?"

He chuckled softly. "That's what I like about you, Princess," he said, "even with the Royal Family's blood in you, you can't really control your emotions."

She stood up. "I think I'll go back to my room," she said. "Breakfast will be served to you. After that you may leave the Castle."

"Oh, but I have no intention of leaving," he said.

"If you do not leave, I will have you removed."

"Come now, Princess," he said. "Do you really want to do that?" He walked across to the dining room and slammed shut the heavy wooden door.

"Let me out," she said, looking around. There was no escape except the tall stained glass windows overlooking the front of the castle.

"No." He gave the same, slightly sinister grin that he had the previous night.

"Please?" she asked tentatively.

He merely laughed. She froze as he crossed the room towards her. "You are mine, Princess." He had a knife in his hand. Likely one of the knives from the table.

"Wha... what are you going to do?"

"Now? Whatever I please."

"Get away," she said, edging towards the windows. They weren't that strong, really...

He continued walking towards her. She struggled to think of something.

He reached her, slid his arms around her again, ran his tongue along her bottom lip... she shuddered.

Then, in the first courageous act of her life, Zelda siezed hold of his wrist, summoned all her strength, and in a swift movement, flung him straight through one of the stained glass windows.

Glass shattered. Multicolored shards rained down. Shadow Link fell and hit the walkway hard. He made no movement to get up.

"I'm sorry," she gasped as the guards took notice of him lying there and hurried over. "I had to."

For the first time in her life, Zelda felt strong.


	8. Kafei

Scenes

Chapter 8

**Nabooru is your mom**

"Hello, and welcome to the Stock Pot Inn!" said the girl at the desk in an unusually cheery voice. "I'm Anju!"

"Hello, I..." Link started.

"Oh, dear! Were you staying the night? I'm terribly sorry, but all our rooms are filled. We're always this busy before the Carnival. I'm so sorry..." she put a hand up to her mouth.

"No, it's okay, I..."Link started again. Just then the door opened and the Postman bounced in up to the desk. He handed a letter to Anju.

"Oh! My! What's this! A letter?" She looked shocked. "Where is this from?"

"From the Postbox."

"No, I mean... from the Postbox where?"

"From the Postbox somewhere."

She sighed. "Please tell me?"

"It's a secret."

The Postman turned around and bounced out without a word.

Anju opened the letter, scanned it quickly, and gasped. Link recognized her expression from when he had seen her crying outside the Laundry Pool on the Second Day. ("Kafei...") He was then reminded of the mask that Madame Aroma had given him... the one that looked like a boy's face...

Tentatively, he put it on and went to talk to her.

"Oh!" She looked up, quite surprised. "You're looking for Kafei, too!"

Link nodded. Whoever Kafei was, he probably needed to be found, and if ever someone needed to be found, Link was probably looking for them.

"Listen... I must ask something of you... will you meet me in the kitchen at 11:30? I have something important I need to ask of you."

Link nodded again. Why must he keep meeting people at certain times? Why couldn't they just tell him whatever it was they needed to tell him? Regardless, he scribbled it down in his notebook and sat outside the upstairs door to wait.

Ten short hours later, he returned to the kitchen where Anju was waiting. She apologized for making him wait and held out a letter for him.

"I need you to find Kafei and deliver this," she said. "I can't talk to him... I'm too afraid to... will you do this for me?"

Link took the letter.

"Thank you so much," she said. As he was about to leave, she adedd, "...Oh, and when you see him... will you please tell me how he looks?"

Link nodded at her and walked out. This was a rather strange quest. What if Kafei was turned into some sort of demon or monster and wouldn't let Link talk to him? What if Kafei was dead? Biting his lip, he stuffed the letter into a Postbox and rested outside the Postman's house to wait.

In the morning, Link followed the Postman around as he checked all the boxes, uncluding the one with Kafei's letter. Then, instead of going back to his house, the Postman instead headed towards the Laundry Pool, seemingly determined to deliver the letter with care. Link followed.

A small boy with shiny violet hair and a Keaton mask opened the door by the pool, took the letter from the Postman, and ran back inside. Noticing the door was now unlocked, Link followed. Maybe this was where Kafei was?

Walking up the stairs, he suddenly ercognized where he was... this was the back door to the Curiosity Shop. Someone was hiding here.

The boy stopped, reading the letter. He looked up at Link.

"Green clothes, green hat..." he commmented. "Anju mentioned you in her letter... well then... I'll tell you.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes, sir."

"Anju must have told you about Kafei... right?"

"He's disappeared."

"As far as they know." The boy pulled off the Keaton mask to reveal a slightly more mature-looking face than Link had imagined. Link recognized his hair now from the mask. "I am Kafei.

"I was turned into a child by an imp with an evil mask..." again, Link recognized the Skullkid... "and my wedding mask that I promised to return to Anju was stolen. I must get it back, I made Anju a promise." His face shifted expressions slightly. Link recognized the expression from what he had seen on Anju's face... and Zelda's, Malon's and Saria's as well. He didn't understand it much at all.

"Here." Kafei reached around his neck and removed the pendant he was wearing. "Give this to Anju. She will know it's from me."

Link took it without a word. He sensed Kafei wanted to be left alone for the moment, so he left quickly and headed back to the Inn.

Anju was standing at the counter looking depressed. Hurridly he ran up to her and held out the pendant.

"Oh! I's from Kafei!" she snatched it and held it tightly to her chest. "Oh, thank you so much!"

"Yes, ma'am." Link bowed and left, one again, for the shop, skipping ahead to the Third Day as he did so.

When he returned, though, Kafei wasn't there...


	9. Nightmare

**Scenes**

**Chapter Seven**

Nabooru is your mom.

Nightmare

Link followed Kafei into the fortress. Ahead he saw Kafei's gold Sun Mask sitting in a cage in front of a blue switch. Instinctively Kafei ran for it, but stepped on the switch, and the mask slid along a conveyor belt past several rooms toward a pit at the end. The door to the left of the mask opened.

"Now I've done it!" Kafei ran for the open door, but as soon as he stepped off the switch, the door slammed shut.

"Step on that switch!" he shouted. Ignoring Tatl's complaints, Link obeyed. The door opened and Kafei walked through it.

A series of puzzles followed; Kafei would have to press a switch on one side of the conveyor belt to let Link into the next room, then Link would have to open the door to Kafei's side, and so on. They could barely keep up with the mask moving ever closer to the trap...

They were almost at the last door when the mask slipped into the hole at the end. They could hear Sakon laughing. "Haha! My security system is impenetrable!" Both of them stood there shocked for a moment, then Kafei simply sighed and looked away. "We're locked in," he observed.

"We'd better leave," Tatl muttered in Link's ear. Kafei was staring in an expression of disbelief and despair like nothing Link had ever seen before. He could hardly stand to look at him.

"Anju is already fleeing to Cremia's ranch," said Tatl. "It's no use. We've failed."

"Shut up," Link hissed at her. No respect.

Kafei turned his face away.

"Just go," whispered Tatl. "Use your Ocarina. Get us out of here."

Link did so immediately. With the echoing notes, the scene faded, time wound back, three days were erased once more, everything started over from the beginning.

But he'd never forget that expression on Kafei's face.


	10. Hero

**Scenes**

**Chapter Ten**

Nabooru is your mom.

_It's like I have no memories, really._

_No memories, no thoughts, no feelings. Just a tool that exists only for the sake of solving everybody's problems. They take away my home, my family, my best and only friend and even seven years of my life. And in the end, they just send me on my way. And I cannot complain._

_Do they think that now, when I've traveled far enough that I'm in an alternate universe nowhere near where I belong (or thought I belonged before people whom don't know me told me otherwise)... now, when I've aged seven years in seven minutes, had to see everybody changed and some people gone...now, when I've had to leave everybody behind and start out once again in a place I've never been and a world I've never known... do they think I don't remember any of it? Do they think my mind is simple enough to reset itself every time they send me somewhere new, every time I play the Song of Time and restart three days once more, and lose all the problems I've had to experience and solve... only to have my efforts erased at the end of it all?_

_Do they think I can't feel pain, either? Maybe I'm just a body that takes orders and follows through without questioning and doesn't take any hurt, metered only by Life Energy? Do they think it doesn't mean anything to me that I have to pretend to be someone else and lie to some of the most honorable people I've ever met, and live with the secret that someone they love has died and I had to watch it? Do you think it doesn't hurt to see Kafei and Anju cry when I couldn't do anything to help? Maybe that doesn't mean anything to me. No, I'm just a boy who wandered in of his own accord... doesn't need praise, doesn't need encouragement, doesn't need anyone to help him out... he can do anything on his own. What he has to go through isn't their problem, eh?_

_But then, if I resisted this, if I lived my own life, things would be in chaos. I'm the only one who can do all these things, who can go anywhere and take down anyone and work my way up to the top (before restarting again). I'm needed, and if I decided not to do the things people asked of me, worse things would happen that nobody could even dream of. Without me, I know everything would eventually lead to a state that would make living my own life completely pointless. What luck, that I turned out to be the destined Hero._

_And what help has the Triforce of Wisdom done me? Paralyzed Ganon for a few seconds of the Final Battle? Kept Hyrule in not-so-perfect condition while I missed a good portion of my life? Not a whole lot. In general I suppose Princesses aren't used to doing a lot of work, but even so, bearing part of the Triforce is hard and shouldn't be given to someone who can't handle it. I know I kept it without wanting to or even being asked to, but that's the work of the Goddesses who decide who gets what. Maybe it should have been given to Zelda's nanny rather than Zelda herself._

_So in short, up till now and probably in future, there is nothing I can do to stop this. I guess I'll just have to bite my lip and undertake whatever tasks they throw at me, no matter what the danger, no matter what the risk. Seal myself up from emotions for my own sake. Work mindlessly for the good of the people and the world. If not, my life has no meaning._

_Really, I'm used to it._


	11. Choice

**Scenes**

**Chapter 11**

Nabooru is your mom.

Zelda did not know what to do with herself.

She didn't know how, but somehow he ended up working and living at the castle, even after he had threatened to kill her or worse, and even after she had thrown him out the window, she had let him come back and she didn't know why. Every night she still kept the door unlocked and candles lit, and never resisted. She didn't know why she even wanted it.

Maybe it was because of Link. Did she really want Link, and not this shadowy imitation of him? Would she have to take whatever she could get instead?

Zelda pondered till her head hurt, which was not very long. She decided to go visit Impa's grave in Kakariko to comfort her a bit. Donning a plain traveling cloak and mounting her favourite horse, she took off for the village, which she reached in about a minute, by which time the skies had turned dusky gray. Leaving her horse by the steps, she made her way through the village, stopping to say hello to Anju.

"What is it? You look worried." Zelda said, seeing the nervousness in Anju's eyes.

"I... there is something in the Graveyard... or, someone..." Anju shuddered.

"What? Speak up."

"We-ell, I thought it looked like... I mean, you wouldn't happen to know anything about..."

"What? Just tell me!" Zelda said frustratedly.

"..a Sheikah," Anju said. "Comes and visits the Graveyard every night. Comes from that awful place up behind the railing in there. Don't know what they're doing."

"What?" Zelda gave a start. "Where? I must see this..."

"Right there." Anju pointed behind Zelda at a figure standing near a grave. Zelda immediately ran toward it, recognized it as--

"Shiek!" The figure looked up, startled. "Sheik, what are you doing here?" Zelda ran up to and threw her arms around him. "I didn't know where you went! I didn't know if you knew about..."

"M'lady." His voice was smooth as always, heard clearly fom behind the facecloth. "This is no place for you. You should not be here."

"I came to see Impa," she protested.

Sheik raised one visible eyebrow. "Now? I think it's a little late..."

"Her _grave_, then!" Zelda held onto his arm and pulled him over to a grave more freshly dug than those around it, with Impa's name on the headstone. "You... Anju said you come back here every night... do you know what happened to her?"

"She was stabbed," he said simply.

"Well, I could have told you that," Zelda smirked. "I mean, who did it?"

Sheik was silent for a long time. Then he said, "Have you ever been faced with a decision where you are forced to destroy something of your own?"

"No," Zelda said, confused.

"For instance, your horse. Imagine for a moment that Ganondorf was back, and he promises he will torture and kill your horse eventually because it's... offended his horse or something. And you know that your horse is going to be tortured. There is no way you are going to save it. You have the option to kill the horse yourself before Ganondorf gets to it, but if you don't, your horse would suffer a long painful death. You would be putting it out of its misery in advance. Would you be able to do this?"

Zelda thought about it for a moment. "I don't think I could," she confessed. "But how does this have to do with Impa? Sheik, who killed her?"

Sheik walked to the edge of the railing area at the back of the graveyard. "Someone who loved her," he said, climbing over the railing and disappearing into the temple behind it.


End file.
